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Archive | December 2013

This morning I woke up already tired. I wished for 30 more minutes of sweet slumber, but I knew if I took that half hour, I would wish I hadn’t just a short time later. I stumbled to the coffee pot, er, I mean microwave to “cook” some water. In a short amount of time, I showered, dressed, made a lunch, made a breakfast, tidied up the kitchen, living room and laundry room and woke up a grumpy boy.

Then as moms do, I kept going. I had a son to get to school and a daughter to get to the ranch for volunteering. There was a baby to feed, another daughter to teach, dishes to be done and groceries to be bought. I was on my feet before sun up, and still on them long after sun down. In all of those hours, I also washed and folded laundry, did more dishes, swept up the kitchen, changed light bulbs and took out the garbage.

Then, as I looked around tonight and thought about all I had done today, I realized that no one would be able to walk into my house and see one single thing I had done. There would be no good job, well done, or thank you. In fact, the garbage was full and the dishes were dirty again. There was absolutely no evidence that I had done anything today.

When I was growing up, my mom told me often that motherhood is a thankless job. “You’ll spend a lot of time doing things that nobody notices”. I know this when I am cleaning window tracks or changing light bulbs. Of course no one will notice it was done. They would have to notice that it needed to be done in the first place.

It’s frustrating. It’s not immediately rewarding. I know that tomorrow I will have to get up and do it all over again. I also know that I am not the only one. There are millions of mothers out there, doing thankless jobs that they will have to do again tomorrow. Then the next day and the day after that too. We do imperative tasks that no one notices. Day in, day out.

I may not see what you do, but I know what you do. I’m standing in the trenches of mother hood with you. Your job is important even when it feels like it’s not. We may not be rewarded daily, but I do believe that we will be rewarded greatly. Not today, not tomorrow, but someday. When our kids are grown and raising their own families, there will come that moment of “WOW! I did not know this was something that needed to be done. I never saw my mom do it, but she must have”. They cycle will continue and your appreciation will be delayed, but it will come.

Until then, I’m standing with you and cheering you on, every step, every chore, every day.